Hydraulic apparatus



June 6, 1944. SCHMIDT 2,350,933

HYDRAULIC APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wv G5 1%ATTORNEY June 6, 1944.

HENIQY'FT SCHMIDT,

W I M ATTORNEY pressure-balancing principle.

PatentedJune 6, 1944 HYDRAULIC APPARATUS Henry F. Schmidt, Lansdowne,Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, EastPittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 15,1942, Serial No. 454,887 12 Claims. (01.188-90) The invention relates tohydraulic brakes and it has for an object to provide apparatu of thischaracter having increased stability. A further object of the inventionis to provide a hydraulic brake including circulation chambers formed bycooperating buckets on stationary and rotary annular structures, andwhich chambers are furnished with liquid by a centrifugal deviceincluding runner vanes carried by the rotary annular structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a self-pumping hydraulicbrake in which circulation chambers are provided by cooperatingstationary and rotary buckets and wherein an atmospheric pressurecondition is maintained at the inlet of the centrifugal device andcentrally of each of the circulation chambers to provide for balancedliquid columns. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic brake fromwhich motive liqui is tapped to entrain leakage liquid to a suitabledrain space to prevent such leakage liquid from escap ing to theexterior of the brake.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic brakewherein rotor and stator annular structures have opposed buckets formingcirculation chambers and wherein liquid is applied to the circulationchambers by a centrifugal device including runner vanes formed on therotor annular structure at the side thereof opposite to the buckets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic brakewherein the stator includes axially-spaced annular structures, and therotor has annular structures arranged between the stator annularstructures and which ar axially spaced to provide for the admission ofliquid therebetween for supply to the circulation chambers provided bycooperating buckets formed in the stator and rotor annular structures.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will beapparent from the followin description and claims taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing the improved brake;

2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the brake;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IVIV of Fig. 2; and, 4

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the Referring now to thedrawings more in detail, the brake comprises a rotor, at i0, and astator, at ll. As shown in Fig. 1, the stator is provided with an arm l2which cooperates with the weighing scale l3 in order that the torqueapplied to the stator may be measured.

The stator has an outer pair of axially-spaced annular structures M, IIand the rotor has an inner pair of axially-spaced annular structures l5,IS. The annular structures l4 have laterally open buckets l6 whichcooperate with buckets l I of the inner annular structures is to formthe circulation chambers, at i8, there being two annular rows ofcirculation chambers, as shown in Fig. 2.

Liquid is supplied from the central annular space 20 of the brake bymeans of centrifugal pressure-developing devices, at 2i, to thecirculation chambers, each device including runner vanes 22 carried by arotor annular structure 15 and cooperating with a radial surface 23formed on a suitable element of the stator. Each stator pocket Ilihas adischarge port 24 and the discharge ports open into the belt chambers 25connected by passages 26 to the discharge conduit 21. Liquid is suppliedto the central annular space, at 20, from an elevated constant levelreservoir 28, the latter having a conduit 29 for supplying liquid to thecentral annular space 20.

As shown in Fig. 1, the supply conduit 29 and the discharge conduit 21are provided, respectively, with valves 30 and 3| for controlling theflow into and the discharge of liquid from the hydraulic brake. With themaintenance of an atmospheric pressure condition in the central annularchamber 20 and in each of the circulation chambers, the valves 30 and 3|may be adjusted for flow requisite to give the braking effort requiredfor a given speed.

As shown, an atmospheric pressure condition ismaintained'in the centralannular chamber 20 by means of a circumferential series of radial tubes32 whose outer ends communicate with the atmosphere externally of thestator, and the central space of each circulation chamber is placed incommunication with the atmosphere externally oi the stator by mean oftubes 33, there being a circumferential series of the latter tubesassociated with the stator buckets I 6 cream annular row of circulationchambers.

As liquid supplied to the central chamber 20 is under atmosphericpressure and as the central portion of each circulation chamber is alsounder atmospheric pressure, it will be apparent that the pressure ofliquid discharged from each cencirculation chambers.

trifugal device is due entirely to the latter; and thep'ressure-of'liquid due to centrifugal force developed in the pumpisbalanced by the pressure of liquid in the associated circulationchambers and due to centrifugal force.- While the pressure-developingdevices, at 2|,

resemble, centrifugal pumps, they operate only incidentally asfpu'rnps,the principal function thereof being to provide a rotating column ofliquid whose centrifugal force is balanced by that of the circulationchamber column, as may be seen from Fig. 5.. The radial dimension A ofthe centrifugal device column is greater than the radial dimension B ofthe circulation chamber column, for the reason that the radius R of thepressure-developing device column is greater than the radius r of thecirculation chamber column, it being remembered that centrifugal forcevaries as the square of' the velocity and inversely as the radius. As'each centrifugal device has relatively wide runner vanes 22 and theliberal clearance thereof with respect to the wall surfaces; asatmospheric pressure is maintained centrally of each pressure-developingdevice and of the circulation chambers, and as the inner portions of thespaces between runner vanes are never fllled with liquid, it is assuredthat the device will operate as a load-balancing or equalizing one. Therate at which liquid is supplied to the runner and the vane width of thelatter are such that liquid enters as a spray. Therefore, the devicefunctions as a centrifuge to separateair, this action being aided by theliberal clearance. While the centrifugal device functions incidentallyas a pump, such functioning is not essential so far as load-balancing orequalizing is concerned, for it will be apparent that the apparatus willprovide balanced columns irrespective of how liquid is supplied to formthe latter.

Hence, it will be seen that the centrifugal device column of liquid isbalanced by the radial thickness of circulating liquid in the associatedIf the rate of supply is increased by appropriate relative adjustment ofvalves 39 and 3|, then the centrifugal device column would tend toincrease, but thelatter is accompanied immediately by an increase in theradial thickness of the circulation chamber column so thatthe device andcirculation cham- I in consequence. Assuming that it is desired todetermine the power of a prime mover or machine at a given speed, thenthe valves are adjusted open annular channel, and the latter is dividedby means of radial webs 34 so as to form the pockets i1.

The stator, at ll, includes a cylindrical shell 42 whose ends areinwardly attached to the ananular structures l4. Each annular structureI4 includes inner and outer cylindrical plate elements 43 and 44, aradial plate element 45, and connecting conical plate elements 46 and.41 115V? ing their adjacent edges welded together so as to formlaterally open annular channels in opposed relation to the channelsprovided by the rotor annular structures l5, the annular channels beingdivided by the radial webs 48 to form the buckets l6.

, the circulation chambers, the passages communiuntil the brakingconstrains the machine or prime mover to rotate at the given speed andthe mageating with the latter both by means of the annular spaces 5|between the adjacent edges of the plates 39 and 44 and by means ofinclined ports or passages 52 extending through the spacer rings 49and'the cylindrical plate elements 44.

A pair of spaced plates 53 are attached peripherally to the interior ofthe shell 42 so as to provide a radial annular passage 54 whichcommunicates peripherally with the central annular chamher or space 20.Liquid is supplied by the conduit 29 to the radial space 54 and from thelatter to the central annular chamber 20. Preferably, as shown in Figs.2 and 3, the lower portion of the space 54 is covered by means of radialand arcuate plates 55 and 56, whereby only the upper portion of thespace 54 is effective to supply liquid to the annular chamber 20 and theaccumulation of liquid in the lower'portion of the space between theplates is thereby prevented.

Tubes 58 extendthrough the plates 53 and across the intervening space 54therebetween, the tubes being distributed radially and circumferentiallyso as to maintain a balanced relation between the pair of centrifugaldevices 2|. Thus, it is assured that not only is each device maintainedin balance with respect to its circulation chambers, but, as the twodevices are balanced by means of the tubes 58, the arrangement as awhole is maintained in balance. I

Sealing devices or glands 59 are arranged between the stator annularstructures l4 and the spindle 35, and each gland has an intermediateleakofi space 60 communicating with a drain passage 6|. The passages 6!are connected to the entrainment chamber 62 having a jet 63 suppliedwith liquid from the brake under sufficient pressure to serve as motivefluid to entrain leakage, whereby the leakage may be discharged I to asuitable drain space and escape thereof l5 are formed by annular radialplates 38 whose and a conical plate 4| has its edges welded to theplates 38 and 39. The'arrangement is such that each flange portion 36and the associated plates from the glands and along the spindleprevented. Outwardly of the stator annular structures Hi,

the spindle is provided with journal portions 65 33, 39, 40 and 4|cooperate to form a laterally willbeapparent that the stator is cap 9QV- ing angular-1y and the stator would be clutched hydraulically to therotor but for the resistance to rotation of the stator'provided bythearm l2 and the scale It. Therefore, the scale may be used todetermine the magnitude of the force 5 due to the resisting torque. n

As atmospheric pressure is maintained in'the annular supply chamber 20,the discharge head of each centrifugal device, at 2|, is due entirely tothe centrifugal force of the latter and the del vices are, therefore,self-regulating. Also, as an atmospheric pressure condition ismaintained, centrally of each circulation chamber, hydraulic balance ismaintained as between each centrifugal pump and the associatedcirculation 1 chambers, whereby stability is maintained. As the twocentrifugal devicesi are balanced by means of the cross tubes 58, itwill be apparent that a condition of hydraulic balance throughout ismaintained.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various changes and modifications without departing fromthe spirit thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only suchlimitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

providing for the maintenance of an atmospheric pressure condition atthe inlets of thedevices 3nd centrally of each of the circulationchamers.

4. In a hydraulic brake, acylindricai casing, a pair of axially-alignedannular structures attached to the ends of said casing, a spindle, apair of rotary annular structures carried by the spindle, opposedbuckets provided on said annular structures of the casing and of thespindle and cooperating to define a pairof rows of circulationchambers,said casing encompassing the peripheries of the annular structures ofthe spindle and spaced therefrom so as to define annular passagescommunicating with the circulation chambers, a pair of spaced annularplates'attached peripherally to the casing so as to separate saidannular passages and extending radially inward toward the spindle todefine a radial an- 0 nular passage, said plates having their inner 1.In a hydraulic brake, a housing with a pair 30 of spaced andaxially-aligned annular structures, a spindle, annular structural meanscarried by the spindle and arranged between the annular structures.opposed buckets provided on said annular structures and on thestructural means 3 and cooperating to define a pair of rows ofcirculation chambers, means including an inlet conduit and centrifugaldevices for supplying liquid to the circulation chambers, said devicesincluding runner vanes carried by the annular structural means, andmeans providing for discharge of liquid from the circulation chambers.

2. In a hydraulic brake, a housing provided with a pair of spaced andaxially-aligned annular structures, a spindle, annular structural meanscarried by the spindle, opposed buckets provided on said annularstructures and structural means and cooperating to define a pair of rowsof circulation chambers, means including an inlet condu t andcentrifugal devices for supplying liquid to he circulation chambers,said devices including runner vanes carried by said structural means,means provided for discharge of liquid from the circulation chambers,glands for sealing the openings of the housing annular structures withrespect to the spindle and including. leak-off connections, and meansutilizing liquid under pressure tapped from the brake to entrain leakagethrough the leak-off connections.

3. In a hydraulic brake, a housing provided with a pair of spaced andaxially-aligned annular structures, a spindle, annular structural meanscarried by the spindle, opposed buckets provided on said annularstructures and structural means and cooperating to define a pair of rowsof circulation chambers, means including an inlet conduit andcentrifugal devices for supplying liquid to the circulation chambers,said devices including runner vanes carried by said annular edges spacedfrom the spindle to provide an inlet chamber, vanes attached to thespindle annular structures to provide runners cooperating with theadjacent plates to provide centrifugal deviceshaving their outlets opento said annular passages and having their inlets open to said inletchamber, means providing for maintenance of atmospheric pressure in saidinlet chamber and centrally of eachof said circulation chambers, meansincluding a conduit for supplying liquid at constant head to saidannular passage, inlet chamber, means including a conduit providing fordischarge of liquid from each of said circulation chambers, and controlvalves arranged in said conduits and disposed adjacent to the brake.

5. In a hydraulic brake, a cylindrical casing; a pair of spaced andaxially-aligned annular structures attached to the ends of the casing; aspindle; a pair of spaced rotary annular structures carried by thespindle; opposed buckets provided on said annular structures andcooperating to define a pair of rows of circulation chambers; saidcasing encompassing the rotary annular structures to provide annularpassages communicatingwith the circulation chambers; a partitionstructure carried interiorly of the easing, having outermost radialsurfaces, separating said annular passages, and spaced radially 'from.the spindle to define an annular inlet space; vanes carried by therotary annular structures to provide runners cooperating with the;adjacent radial surfaces of the partition structure to constitutecentrifugal devices having their out-lets open to said annular passageand having their inlets open to said annular inlet space; meansincluding. a radially-extending space formed in the partition structurefor supplying liquid. to said annular inlet space; means providing fordischarge of liquid from the circulation chambers; and means forequalizing the pressures in said centrifugal devices including openingsextending through the partition structure.

6. In a hydraulic brake, a stationary cylindrical casing, a pair ofstationary annular structures attached to the ends of said casing andstructural means, means including an outlet conduit providing fordischarge of liquid from the circulation chambers, a constant-level tankfor the inlet conduit and arranged above the brake, control valves forthe inlet and outlet conduits and arranged adjacent to the brake, andmeans 7 having laterally-open and radially-extending pockets, a spindleextending through the central openings of the stationary annularstructures, means for sealing said openings with respect to the spindle,rotary annular structures carried by the spindle and provided withlaterally-open and radially-extending pockets disposed in opposedrelation with respect to the first pockets to definevcirculationchambers, said casing ening inwardly to provide a radially-extending,an-

nular passage and having their inner edges spaced froin the spindle todefine an annular inlet chamber open to the radially-extending annularpassage, vanes carried by the rotary annular structures to providerunners cooperating with the adjacent annular plates to constitutecentrifugal devices having their outlets open to said annular passagesand having their inlets open to said annular inlet chamber, means forequalizing the pressures in said centrifugal devices including tubesextending through the plates and transversely across theradially-extending annular passage, means including a conduit forsupplying the liquid under constant head to said radially-extendingannular passage, means including a conduit providing for the dischargeof liquid from each of said circulation chambers, valves for controllingthe flow of liquid through said conduits, means including acircumferential series of radially-extending tubes for maintaining anatmospheric pressure condition in said inlet chamber, and meansproviding for the maintenance of an atmospheric pressure conditioncentrally of each of said circula-' tion chambers.

7. In a hydraulic brake, stationary and rotary annual structures havinglaterally-open and radially-extending pockets in opposed relation so asto define circulation chambers, a housing to which the stationaryannular structure is attached and which encompasses the rotary annularstructure so as to define an annular .passage in communication with thecirculation chambers, a spindle carrying the rotary annular structureand extending through the central opening of the stationary annularstructure, a gland for sealing said opening with respect to the spindleand provided with a leak-off connection, means carried by the housingand providing a radially-extending annular passage, the last-named meansincluding an annular plate whose inner edge is spaced from the spindleto define an inlet space open to said radially-extending annularpassage, vanes carried by the rotary annular structure and cooperatingwith said plateto provide a centrifugal device having its inlet open tosaid inlet space and having its outlet open to said annular passage,means including said radially-extending annular passage for supplyingliquid to said inlet space, means providing for discharge of liquid fromthe circulation chambers, said circulation chambers and the annularpassage constituting a liquid pressure space, and means utilizing liquidsupplied from the pressure space to induce flow through said leak-oi!connection.

8. In a hydraulic brake, relatively rotatable annular structures,opposed buckets provided on said annular structures and cooperating todefine circulation chambers, a centrifugal device including runner vanescarried by the rotatable es communicating with the fannular structure,means providing for communication of the peripheral portion of thecentrifugal device with the circulation chambers,

means providing for the supply of liquid to the the inlet of thecentrifugal device and centrally of each of the circulation chambers.

10. In a hydraulic brake, relatively rotatable annular structures,opposed buckets provided on said annular structures andcooperating todefine circulation chambers, a centrifugal device including runner vanescarried by the rotatable annular structure, means providing forcommunication of the peripheral portion of the centrifugal device withthe circulation chambers, means providing for the supply of liquid tothe centrifugal device and for the discharge thereof from thecirculation chambers, and means providing for maintenance of anatmospheric pressure condition at the inlet of the centrifugal deviceand centrally of each of the circulation chambers so that thecentrifugal force of the rotating body, of liquid of the centrifugaldevice may balance that of each circulation chamber rotating body withthe bodies of liquid subject to the same pressure, and means for varyingthe supply and discharge of liquid relatively to adjust the radialthickness of the rotating bodies of liquid in the circulation chambersto provide the torque for the speed desired.

11. In ahydraulic brake, relatively rotatable annular structures,opposed buckets provided on said annular structures and cooperating todefine circulation chambers, a centrifugal device including runner vanescarried by the rotatable annular. structure, means providing forcommunication of the peripheral portion of the centrifugal device withthe circulation chambers, means for maintaining a constant head ofliquid, a valve for controlling the flow of liquid from the last-namedmeans to the inlet of the centrifugal device, means providing fordischarge of liquid from the circulation chambers, and means providingfor the maintenance of an atmospheric pressure condition at the inlet ofthe centrifugal device and centrally of each of the circulationchambersso that the centrifugal force of the rotating body of liquid of thecentrifugal device may balance that of each circulation chamber rotatingbody with the'bodies of liquid subject to the same pressure.

12. The combination as claimed in claim 11 with valve means forcontrolling the discharge of liquid from the circulation chambers.

HENRY F. SCHMIDT.

